Loose leaf binder



Dec. 11, 1934.

C. E. MOREHOUSE LOOSE LEAF BI NDER Filed March 16, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CYH Us E. MOREHOUSE.

- ATTOR I Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITED- STATES PATENT oFFIcE LOOSELEAF BINDER. Cyrus 1 1.; Moreharuse, Clifton Heights, Pa., assignor to National Publishing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania 7 Appiication umh 16, 1932, Serial No.-599,175

1' Claim. (01.129-38) My invention relates to a new and useful loose leaf binder, and it relates more particularly to a loose leaf binder of the type wherein folded sheets of paper are detachably retained within the binder by means of a resilient orspring wire lying in and engaging the fold of the paper.

The object of my invention is to provide a loose leaf binder wherein folded sheets or leaves are securely held in a quickly detachable manner, and yet securely held so as to prevent sliding or slipping of the sheetswith respect'to each other and with respect to the hinder or cover.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear more fully from the following detailed description, my invention consists of a loose leaf binder, including a pair of connected covers, a

pair or several pairs of aligned sockets carried by said covers, or by the back 'of the binder intermediate said covers, said sockets being spaced 2 suitable distances inwardly from the edges of the covers, so that the loose leaf sheets will entirely overlap said sockets;'-each of said sockets having an opening facing the other of the pair, and having an opposed closed end; doubled or folded leaves or sheets of a' size corresponding to said covers and having apertures in the line of the fold thereof, corresponding in size, shape and number to the aligned sockets, so that said apertures will fit over said sockets, so as to permit the 30 sockets to extend through the sheets at the folds thereof, and normally straight spring wires of a length greater than the shortest distance between opposed pairs of sockets, adapted to be operatively inserted therebetween by being temporarily bowed so as temporarily to shorten the effective length thereof, to permit the insertion of its opposed ends in said opposed sockets;'

since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to 50 be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I Referring to the drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

Figure 1. represents a top plan view of a form of loose leaf binder embodying my invention, shownin alcondition' opened to its center.

Figure 2 represents an end view of thesame, shown substantially closed.

Figure 3 represents an endview of the same, shownopen.

' Figure 4 represents a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1, indicating the manner in which the retaining spring wire is inserted and removed.

Figure 5 represents a fragmentary section on line 5 5 of Figure 1, shown on a much enlarged scale and with the binder partly. closed. 5

Figure 6 represents a top plan'view of a loose leaf binder of a modified construction embodying my invention (the sheets having been removed).

I Figure 7 represents a section on line 77 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 represents a section on line 88 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 represents atop plan view of a further modified form of loose leaf binder embodying my invention. 5

Figure 10 represents an end view of the same in a closed condition,

In' carrying outmy' invention, I provide a pair of opposed covers 20 and 21 respectively (see Figures 1 to 5 inclusive), connected by a flexible back 22. To one of the covers, as for instance, thecover 21, a metallic socket plate 23 is secured, extending longitudinally of and parallel to the back22, and having a pair of opposed sockets 24 and 25, respectively, at its'opposite ends, projecting therefrom at its opposite ends. The socket plat/e23 is of sheet metal of suitable rigidity, and the sockets 24 and 25 are preferably formed integrally therewith by bending each of the lug-like lateral projections into an eyelet like cylindrical socket and closing the outer ends of said sockets, as indicated in Figures 1, 4 and 5.

The sockets 24 and 25 project from the plane of the socket plate 23, so that when the loose leaf covers are substantially closed, the socket will be approximately in the median plane of the loose leaf back, or in the center of the back 22 thereof, as indicated'in Figure 5.

The loose leaf sheets 26 are all double sheets, as indicated in Figure 1, having a central fold 27, and a pair of apertures 28 and 29 in the line of said fold 27, and of a size and spacing corresponding to the size and spacing of the sockets 24 and 25, so that said sheets 26 will fit over the sockets 24 and 25, and the latter will 55 project through the sheets, as indicated particularly in Figure 1. The sockets 24 and 25, and hence also the apertures 28 and 29, are spaced inwardly from the top and bottom edges of the binder and the sheets respectively, so that a substantial spacing will be maintained between the apertures 28 and 29 and the top and bottom edges of the sheets 26.

A normally straight retainer wire 30, formed of a spring metal such as tempered steel, phosphor bronze, or the like, and of a length substantially greater than the shortest distance between the opposed sockets 24 and 25, is then inserted between said sockets, in the manner indicated particularly in Figure 4. Thus, the retainer wire 30 is bowed by suitable manual manipulation, until the opposite ends thereof are at a distance slightly less than the shortest distance between the sockets 24 and 25. While thus bowed, the ends are inserted into the sockets 24 and 25, and when released, the wire springs back to its normally straight shape and lengthens out correspondingly, so that both ends thereof will project a suitable distance into the corresponding sockets 24 and 25, thereby interlocking with said sockets, soas to retain the folded sheets. When it is desired to remove the folded sheets 26, the wire 30 is similarly removed by temporary flexing or bowing.

The socket plate 23 is preferably embedded in between the two cardboard folds 31 and 32 of one of the covers and 21, with the sockets 24 and thereof projecting through suitable aper tures in the inner lining 33 of the covers. The inner lining 33, together with the outer lining 34, combine to form the flexible back 22. The inner and outer linings 33 and 34 may be of any flexible material, such as leather or imitation leather, or buckram, or the like.

In order to permit the removal of a single leaf, without removing the corresponding double leaf from the loose leaf binder, the double sheets are suitably perforated or scored at 35 and 36, so that if the loose leaf book is to be used as a memorandum or similar book, and it is desirable to remove a single page, such single page may be removed by tearing along the scoring or perforation lines 35 and 36, thus removing one page without removing the opposite page.

In Figures 6, 7 and 8, I have illustrated a modified embodiment of my invention, in which separate or individual socket plates 3'7 and 38 are provided, each carrying a corresponding socket 39 and 40;said socket plates 3'7 and 38 being. individually riveted to one of the covers 41 or 42 or" the binder, by means of suitable eyelets or rivets 43. The covers 41 and 42 in this modification may be merely a single-ply fabricoid or imi- In Figures 9 and 10, I have illustrated a further modified embodiment of my invention, in which a pair of aligned sockets 45 and 46, and another pair of aligned sockets 4'7 and 48 are secured to each of the covers 49 and 50 respectively. A plurality of double sheets 51 and 52 may thus be retained within the same covers, as indicated particularly in Figure 10.

An advantage of my binder is the greater durability of the sheets, because the same are retained by an engagement extending substantially the entire length of the fold thereof. Moreover, because each folded sheet (or each batch of folded sheets retained by the same wire) is not disturbed while the other sheets are being folded, the life of the sheets is much increased, as there is no tendency to break out at the point where the sheets are held in place, as is the case in ring-binders and the like.

So also, by reason of this novel construction, the loose-leaf binder may be opened up to any portion with greater facility and without spreading or distributing all the other sheets.

By reason of the fact that the sockets project through the sheets, the sheets are securely retained in the binder, even when the book is open, as the sheets can not slip out from under the wires as they are interlocked with the sockets.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being. had to the appended claim rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I hereby claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A loose-leaf book including a pair of flexibly connected covers, and a back intermediate thereof, a pair of opposite, aligned and co-acting sockets intermediate said covers, and secured to one of said covers in proximity to the back of the book, each being spaced inwardly a suitable extent from the opposed edges common to both covers, said sockets being open at their ends nearest to each other and being substantially closed at their ends farthest from each other, a folded, double, loose-leaf sheet having a pair of apertures at the fold thereof corresponding to said sockets and fitting over the same, and a normally substantially straight resilient retainer wire of a length substantially greater than the shortest distance between said sockets, having its opposed ends projecting into said sockets a suitable extent and engaging the fold of said double sheet intermediate the pair of socket-receiving apertures thereof, thereby to retain the same in operative relation to said covers and back.

CYRUS E. MOREI-IOUSE. 

